BEARS, VODKA, BALALAIKA!

About

"Bears, Vodka, Balalaika!" is a single-player Role Playing Game set in World War II-era Soviet Union, where you play as a Russian soldier defending your Motherland with an AK-47. The game features realistic shooting, the ability to heal by drinking vodka, and play balalaika, alongside a beautiful story, good gameplay, splendid visuals, and a compelling soundtrack. The game captures the truly Russian spirit with its atmosphere, weapon, and humor. Trading cards are now available.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,239 reviews

music43 positive mentions

stability13 negative mentions

The game provides a unique and humorous experience, allowing players to embody a Russian bear armed with an AK-47, drinking vodka, and shooting Nazis.
Many players found the graphics and soundtrack to be impressive for an indie game, enhancing the overall immersion and enjoyment.
The game is easy to pick up and play, making it accessible for casual gamers and providing a fun distraction for a short period.

The gameplay is repetitive and lacks depth, with many players completing all achievements in under 10 minutes.
Controls and aiming mechanics are often criticized as clunky and unresponsive, leading to frustration during gameplay.
The game is filled with bugs, including T-posing enemies and poor AI, which detracts from the overall experience.

music
97 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
53%
3%
The music in the game is generally praised for its captivating and unique qualities, featuring traditional Russian songs like "Katyusha" and the ability to play the balalaika, which adds a distinctive touch. However, many users express frustration over the limited number of tracks and the lack of looping, which detracts from the overall experience during longer play sessions. Despite these issues, the soundtrack is often described as memorable and integral to the game's atmosphere, enhancing the immersive experience of the gameplay.
- “The music makes the game; this is one you won't forget.”
- “The soundtrack and graphics are amazing, making you feel truly immersed in the Russian landscape, while giving you a feeling of great national pride for Mother Russia.”
- “I would like to add that the game has a beautiful soundtrack.”
- “If you try to play for too long, the background music can eat away at your brain, let me warn you beforehand.”
- “You could say I don't get the joke, but if I made this, I'd care enough to properly loop the Soviet anthems instead of having the music go dead silent exactly two minutes after most people stop trying to 'get it.' With less than five minutes of action, this has no value even as a joke game.”
- “The only flaw is that the music does not loop, which allows for the steel focus to continue standing after taking countless bullets to the torso, but alas, can I be warmed up with the fiery pride in the motherland without my favorite song after the first minute.”
gameplay
80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
57%
13%
Gameplay reviews are mixed, with some praising its immersive and dynamic mechanics, such as the unique health recovery system and fast-paced action, while others criticize it for being buggy, repetitive, and shallow. Players appreciate the engaging controls and innovative art style, but many note significant issues with game mechanics and a lack of depth in gameplay. Overall, the experience varies widely, from highly enjoyable to frustratingly flawed.
- “Gameplay is fast-paced and intense.”
- “The game's fast-paced gameplay, unique mechanics, and sound design are also top-notch, with realistic sound effects and music that sets the mood of the game perfectly.”
- “Amazing controls, surreal graphics, outstanding gameplay, unbeatable physics, and overall the best shooter game I've played.”
- “It's buggy and has bland, repetitive gameplay.”
- “Game mechanics are totally broken, the aim is buggy and all you got to do is shoot Soviet soldiers in an open field, nothing else.”
- “Gameplay loop is extremely short, shallow, and almost non-existent.”
story
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
57%
5%
The game's story receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its depth and emotional impact, likening it to renowned titles like "The Last of Us Part II," while others criticize it for lacking substance or coherence. Many highlight a moral theme about perseverance and the unpredictability of life, suggesting that the narrative resonates on a personal level. Overall, the story is described as touching and beautiful, though some feel it could benefit from more structured gameplay elements.
- “A game with a deep and thought-provoking story.”
- “Best game I have ever played; the gameplay reminded me of my childhood when I used to play my GameCube, and the story is so beautiful.”
- “Gorgeous graphics, touching story, and beautiful soundtrack.”
- “The game does not carry any plot or semantic load.”
- “☑️ this game has no story”
- “After that, it's easily replaceable by a game that has more grip on gameplay, story... literally everything.”
graphics
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
35%
8%
The graphics of the game receive high praise, with many reviewers noting their impressive quality, often comparing them to AAA titles like GTA V and RDR 2. The art style is described as beautiful and immersive, contributing significantly to the overall experience, although some users mention technical issues and a few instances of poor graphics. Overall, the visuals are a standout feature, enhancing gameplay and player engagement.
- “The graphics are marvelous, competing head to head with games like GTA V, RDR 2, and Superman 64.”
- “Amazing controls, surreal graphics, outstanding gameplay, unbeatable physics, and overall the best shooter game I've played.”
- “The soundtrack and graphics are amazing, making you feel truly immersed in the Russian landscape, while giving you a feeling of great national pride for Mother Russia.”
- “Poor graphics.”
- “I was not able to launch the executable file; it somehow starts from the terminal but just shows a black screen. I need to kill it from my serial console. If you are wondering, I use Vega graphics; it might work for Nvidia.”
- “This is the game with surprisingly the most realistic graphics I've ever seen.”
humor
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
95%
5%
The humor in the game is described as a mix of silly and absurd, often eliciting laughter through its ridiculous premise of a bear with a gun. While some players find it to be a hilarious guilty pleasure, others criticize it for being amateurish and lacking depth, suggesting that its comedic value may only hold for a short time. Overall, it appeals to those who enjoy lighthearted, meme-inspired humor, despite its flaws.
- “If you want to spend funny and entertaining moments even for a short time, I strongly recommend you to play it.”
- “This game is just such a stupidly funny great game that you 100% get.”
- “I really enjoy a simple, silly shooter like this - especially with the somewhat funny background.”
- “Totally biased, not funny, and the bear impersonation just can't get any worse.”
stability
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is widely criticized for its instability, with numerous reports of bugs affecting gameplay mechanics and aiming. Players describe the experience as frustratingly repetitive and broken, leading to a consensus that the game is not worth purchasing due to its technical issues.
- “Game mechanics are totally broken, the aim is buggy and all you got to do is shoot Soviet soldiers in an open field, nothing else.”
- “The game is buggy and not worth getting.”
- “It's buggy and has bland, repetitive gameplay.”
emotional
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its touching story, heartwarming moments, and beautiful graphics and soundtrack, which resonate deeply with players, evoking strong feelings and even tears. Many users express a profound connection to the narrative, enhancing their overall experience.
- “To top it all off, we get to see Mishka in his first form and it is truly heartwarming.”
- “20/10 made me cry.”
- “Gorgeous graphics, touching story, and beautiful soundtrack.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The reviews present a mixed perspective on replayability; while some users find the game infinitely replayable due to its engaging plot, others criticize it as "shovelware" with no replay value, likening it unfavorably to Cyberpunk 2077. Overall, the game's replayability seems to depend heavily on individual preferences and expectations.
- “Infinitely replayable.”
- “Infinitely replayable.”
- “Shovelware, achievement printer with no replay value...no amount of vodka, plum brandy, horilka, guitar songs, radiation, or Katyusha salvos could make this fun.”
- “The game is basically the same as Cyberpunk 2077, but this one has a better plot and more replayability.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat excessive, often requiring significant time investment for farming points. While some appreciate the potential for strategic farming through enemy interactions, others feel it detracts from the game's intended casual experience.
- “It can be a bit grindy sometimes, but the rewards make it worth it.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding, but the experience is incredibly satisfying.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Thought for a moment that this might make for a 5-minute distraction game for a LAN party, but after I figured you could keep farming points by endlessly running around the map in wide circles and making the enemies shoot each other, there went that application out the window.”
- “A bit grindy sometimes.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game effectively captures a distinct Russian atmosphere, prominently featuring the AK-47 as a legendary weapon and vodka as a healing item. Players appreciate its authentic representation of Russian culture and the gritty experience of combat on the front lines. Overall, it is highly recommended for those seeking an immersive Russian-themed experience.
- “The game has a truly Russian spirit and atmosphere, with the AK-47 being the legendary weapon of choice and vodka being used for healing.”
- “It perfectly reflects the atmosphere of Russia and shooting with the AK-47.”
- “If you want to feel the atmosphere of the Russians on the front, I definitely recommend it.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization of the game has been widely criticized, with multiple users labeling it as the worst they have ever encountered.
- “The worst optimization I have ever seen.”
- “The worst optimization I have ever seen.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game appears to involve the integration of ads, which can be accessed through right-clicking, suggesting a reliance on ad revenue for funding. Additionally, players have the option to zoom out using the scroll wheel, indicating a focus on user interface flexibility.